Conventional trucks have rear view mirrors mounted either on the doors themselves or on the cab portion of the truck. Although mirror systems are adequate when the truck is used for towing conventional trailers or hauling normal size loads, such mirror systems are not adequate for safe towing of over-sized objects (such as trailer houses) or for hauling exceptionally wide objects (such as heavy equipment, for example). In such cases the primary, permanently mounted, mirrors do not extend outwardly from the truck a sufficient distance to enable the driver to see past the object being towed or hauled. As a result, serious safety problems are presented.
Various attempts have been made to mount auxiliary or temporary rear view mirrors to a vehicle. For example, some have involved fastening a mirror to the end of a rod which is then taped or tied to the frame of the primary mirror system. However, such a means for fastening and supporting an auxiliary mirror is very unsatisfactory since it does not securely support the auxiliary mirror. Consequently, because of wind resistance, etc. the auxiliary mirror can vibrate and can even become displaced from the desired placement.
Other types of auxiliary mirror systems also have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,118,965; 3,778,016; 3,166,197; 4,111,532; 4,073,461; 3,790,117; 3,857,539; Design Pat. Nos. 213,772, 204,188, and 259,415; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,118. Some of the previously described systems are designed for attachment of an auxiliary mirror to the fender of a vehicle. Other such systems are intended for attachment to existing mirror systems.
However, there has not heretofore been described an auxiliary mirror system of the type provided by the present invention.